Steve Harris

Plaining vacation for 2 weeks in the UK with wife & 5 year old - open to any suggestions. Planning on 4 days in London, 3 days in Dublin and 3 days in Scotland. Is that too spread out? Planning on cutting costs by staying in Hostels & spending more on food & sightseeing! Suggestions ?

Gina

I'm a little confused--you talk about a 2-week vacation, then mention 4+3+3 days--that's only ten days, not two weeks. Do you have another four days, or is it just two "work weeks"? <BR> <BR>In any case, whether it's two weeks or ten days, yes, 4 days in London, 3 days in Dublin, and 3 days in Scotland is way too much and too spread out. You'll be exhausted and won't have time to enjoy anything. Keep in mind, too, that to get to Dublin you'll need to fly or take a ferry. <BR> <BR>What do you particularly want to see? Are you more interested in cities and culture, or countrysides and nature? What time of the year will you be going? All of these questions would influence what people might recommend that you consider doing. <BR> <BR>Here's the itinerary I used for my first two-week trip to the UK. I zipped around, but I wasn't killing myself. <BR> <BR>Days 1-3: Bath, Glastonbury and Wells <BR>Days 4-5: The Cotswolds--Chipping Campden, Broadway; and Stratford-on-Avon. <BR>Days 6-8: London. <BR>Days 9-10: train through the north to Edinburgh; Edinburgh. (A stop in Newcastle to visit a friend.) <BR>Days 11-13: a "Haggis Backpackers" tour of the Scottish Highlands <BR>Day 14: train to London in the am, night in London (with a show). <BR>Day 15: return home. <BR> <BR>You'll note that I barely scratched the surface of England--no Cornwall, no Devon, no Lake District, no Yorkshire Dales. Didn't even *think* about getting to Ireland. <BR> <BR>If you make the effort to get to Scotland, try to get to the Highlands, not just Edinburgh or Glasgow. The best way to do that is probably to rent a car, as I don't think the "Haggis Backpackers" bus tour, as cool and fun as it was for me, would work for a family with a 5-year-old. You won't see remotely all there is to see, but you can get in some good Highland scenery in a 3-day drive from Edinburgh.

ginny

Hi Steve: I agree with Gina as far as days allowed and distance you want to cover. Are you not counting the first and last day of trip(we do that)to recover from flying over and then taking a day to get back to airport from wherever you may be? <BR>You don't say if you plan on having a car, I'll take it you won't, which is fine since Brit Rail is great going from one area to the other. On one trip in 99 we took the train to Scotland from London then from Scotland to Chester(instead of Dublin) which is a great place. Or you could do 3 days in Cotswolds where there are some nice animal farms or take train into North Wales. There are great Narrow Gauge(sp?) trains all through Wales that a five year old would enjoy.

frank

Keep an eye open for caravans (trailers) for hire, especially the ones on farms. <BR> These are cheap & you get to meet the people - better than a hotel really, plus you might get some home baking! <BR> Not sure how you intend to travel - buses are cheaper than trains.

David White

Steve, <BR> <BR>You are planning to cover a lot of ground on your trip. Not that it can't be done, but with a 5 year old, and a limited budget, it does pose some both logistical and financial challenges. You MAY want to consider focusing your trip somewhat. Your England/Ireland/Scotland plan entails a lot of travel time and expense. <BR> <BR>Where to focus your trip is the big question...if you are flying into London, and the city is a "must see" for you, then you could focus on central England. There's a lot of variety here--cities, historic sights, gardens, walking/hiking, a surprising amount of rural countryside, etc. Much of which can be reached by train or bus (or you could rent a car and roam at will). <BR> <BR>My second observation is that hostels may not be the best choice for a family. But the UK is filled with B&Bs (bed and breakfasts) that can provide less expensive accomodations than traditional hotels. If you are roaming the countryside, you can stay at B&Bs even without advanced reservations. Simply go to the local Tourist Information Centres located in many towns (even small ones). They can help you book a local B&B. <BR> <BR>London accomodations can be very expensive--quality, centrally located accomodations are a challenge. There are innumerable tourist class hotels in London, but not that many in the very center of town. The quality of these places varies greatly, so check carefully before you book. One "budget" hotel that you may want to consider is the Travel Inn County Hall, located just across the river from Big Ben. It offers modern rooms for just under £80 per night. While that's hardly a bargain, it passes for one in central London. <BR> <BR>Hope this is helpful. Feel free to look at my website for more info on family travel to London: <BR> <BR> http://www.KidsToLondon.com <BR> <BR>or email me as you come up with specific questions: <BR> <BR> [email protected] <BR> <BR>Regards, <BR> <BR>David White <BR> <BR>

Linda

If ou are on a tight budget, and driving, please be sure to figure gas costs into your budget. Gas in Britain is well over the US equivalent of $4/gallon. Also, the tip on self-catering caravans is a good one. They are inexpensive, and, unlike bed and breakfast, offer total privacy--which might be good with a 5-year-old, who may be cranky after a day of touring. Also, you can save $$ (or is that ££?) by doing some cooking yourself. They are also more plentiful than hostels. Just a thought.

Joanna

Steve, I imagine the days not mentioned in your original post are 'travelling between places' days. Still, its a tight schedule. I did something similar in 1988, but had 7 weeks in which to travel about. A lot of time on the road may be boring for a 5 year old. How are you getting to Dublin and Scotland? The ferries to Dublin are reasonably cheap but you have to get to and from Holyhead in Wales - all time consuming for someone with not too much time.